Auburn University in Alabama, for instance, asks would-be students on page 7 of its application form, “Have you ever been charged with or convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a crime other than a minor traffic offense, or are there any criminal charges now pending against you?” While a “yes” answer doesn’t necessarily preclude someone from attending the university, it does open the applicant to another level of scrutiny, including a follow-up call asking for more information.
So what’s the problem? Well, according to the Lawyers’ Committee, the question is potentially discriminatory. Minority students tend to get in trouble with the law more frequently than white students do. Some would argue that Auburn’s ethnic makeup is already skewed given that only 7 percent of the student body is of a minority ethnicity in a state where a quarter of the population is black. (New York Times)